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Archive for the tag “Relief Society Lesson”

The cover of the Priesthood and Relief Society Manual for 2013. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow

Each year I get giddy as we draw close to the end of our church manuals, because it means that soon we get to start a new one! – Yes, I realize I’m a nerd. – This year is no different from times in years past though.

The first time I ever saw a Priesthood/Relief Society Manual was when I was a young recent convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My grandma, who had lived next door to me my entire childhood life in Redmond, Utah, was what many would refer to as a “less active” member of the Church. By the time I was a young man she probably hadn’t attended an LDS church meeting in nearly 50 years. However, she was anything but unkind to the Church. Despite my various family members who would always bash “the Mormons” or decry their “evil monopoly of Utah State Government” (my family’s words, not mine), my grandma was always kind to Mormons. It was her kindness that helped me to accept baptism into a church that was foreign to me and had given me great grief as a Lutheran boy growing up in central Utah. Her home teachers were stalwart high priests who never missed a month. And in December of 1997 I was visiting my grandma when those two wonderful men brought her a Christmas gift: “The Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young”.

It was a thick, softcover book with a large picture of President Brigham Young covering most of the front cover. There was a brown edging around the portrait itself, and a fanciful cropping of what looked like swirled turquoise and browns surrounding the covers edges. The portrait of Brigham looked stern, yet inviting and friendly. Having grown up with a grandfather (on the other side of my family) who had taught me that Brigham Young was a womanizing, alcoholic, murdering, money-laundering felon, it surprised me that even though I was new to the Church, I felt a great warmth for the man whose image was emblazoned on the cover of that book.

Once my grandma’s home teachers left that cold December day the book was quickly hidden away out of sight in a cupboard located in the bottom of her grandfather clock. The clock, located tightly beside her couch and in the corner of her living room drew little attention, and the cupboard located in the bottom of the clock drew even less attention. It was a Christmas gift that was soon forgotten, but one which brought me tremendous, and secret joy each time I went next door to visit my grandma. Her house held a ubiquitous huddle of uncles, aunts, cousins, and continual scattered family nearly 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. But in the rare moments when nobody was around, and nobody would see me, I would casually sit on the edge of my grandma’s couch, reach down into the forgotten cupboard, and pull out that manual and read of my new found Mormon faith.

I loved that book. And I have read it many times since.

At the age of 17, having moved far from central Utah to Jasper, Alabama, I was called as my small ward’s sole priesthood quorum advisor. It was in this unique calling that I reveled in the opportunities I had to teach from a similar book, the teachings of Harold B. Lee. Perhaps it was my boyish zeal, or my complete inept innocence, but there was nothing I looked forward to more than studying those priesthood lessons throughout the week and then going to teach my brethren in Christ. As the only young man in my ward we never separated, and without a sufficient number of elders or high priests, we were one large mash up of conversion, testimony, and opinions on the lessons, but it was a thrill all the same. As I prepared for my mission and the manual changed to a blue book with the image of John Taylor on the front, our lessons grew more spiritual, and I’ll never forget a profound sabbath during which our aged stake patriarch bore a beautiful testimony of the things we had just read.

I love the Church manuals.

When I found out a couple of months ago that the coming year’s manual would be the teachings of President Lorenzo Snow I felt even happier than usual, because President Snow is a man for whom I have a great affinity.

Perhaps as we draw closer to the new year and the change in manuals I will share some of my favorite Lorenzo Snow stories. But for now, sit back and enjoy a sneak preview of the great things to come.

Below is the Table of Contents for the coming year’s Priesthood and Relief Society lessons. And following that is a link at which you can download a PDF copy of the manual onto your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

I hope you’re as excited to hear from President Snow as I am!

Table of Contents: “Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow”

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